Lloyd Marken

Spider-Man: Homecoming is less about a high school homecoming dance and more about the popular comic book character being loaned back to his parent company Marvel and their cinematic universe in partnership with Sony. That is the homecoming of real importance and you can feel in every frame that they know and get this character.

Sony have had a good run with the web slinger, Spider-Man 2 remains a classic of the genre that predates the MCU or Christopher Nolan’s stab at Batman. Even the last franchise entries starring Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone boasted a great chemistry between the two romantic leads which spoke to a wealth of possibilities. Alas Tom Holland showed up in Captain America: Civil War and here we are with his incarnation of the character getting his own film.

This is the seventh film with Spider-Man in it so you would be forgiven if you wondered what the point of seeing this would be. Hasn’t this story already been played out before? But surprisingly not so.

Peter Parker may have been in high school in earlier films but here he is a high schooler and a lot of the story revolves around the challenges you navigate in that environment rather than facing down crooks as a masked crusader. This is John Hughes by way of Marvel and for the most part it proves fresh and engaging as a result.

The story picks up not long after the events of Civil War, Parker having survived a battle between superheroes is deemed not quite ready by Tony Stark who gives him the “Don’t call us – we’ll call you.” line. Parker having participated in something big doesn’t want to just go back to helping get cats out of trees around his neighbourhood. Stumbling across criminals trading in alien technology he sees the pursuit of them as a way to prove himself to Stark. This brings him into conflict with Adrian Toomes aka The Vulture (Michael Keaton) who is running the trade of these super weapons.

Toomes has a chip on his shoulder about the powers that be forgetting about the little guy and makes some pretty compelling arguments. That is until you see just how remorseless he is about protecting his business. Michael Keaton gives Toomes working class likeability but a cold ruthlessness that is truly menacing to see a 15 year old boy go up against. Keaton who’s played bad guys before proves he’s still got what it takes at 65 to be headlining a summer blockbuster and selling the physicality required for a superhero movie.

The film like Parker himself balances this pursuit in the plot with the tasks of being a regular high school kid. These are the best bits of the film as Parker has a crush on a Liz (Laura Harrier) at school, a best friend who wants to be his “guy in the chair”, his widowed Aunt May justifiably a little protective along with all the requisite school work. The cast here is diverse and likeable as hell, best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon) is just so damn supportive and likeable while MJ (Zendaya) is typically stand-offish and derisive as a fellow teenager but probably sees and cares more than most.

While they are the stand outs there’s really no one who is not likeable, even Tony Revolori (Eugene ‘Flash’ Thompson) who is a rival of sorts to Peter and constantly mocks him is just a kid trying to be cool and liked and sees an easy target. The adults have their own personalities too, one commenting about Captain America training videos. “You got to watch these even though I think this guy is like a war criminal now or something.”

There are a lot of in-jokes including one where Parker finds himself in suburbia where it is a lot more difficult to swing from building to building and a really enjoyable one during the end credit stinger. The set pieces are fine and remain focused on character and are pretty spectacular to look at. T

he only let down is maybe the Tony Stark part of the plot, Stark seems to absent and hypocritical after recruiting him to go up against Captain America in Civil War, he should be more hands on with his development if he truly wants him to remain safe. There was probably a reluctance to overshadow Spider-Man in this first new outing but it reeks of inconsistent character motivation which always weakens a film. Stark as a mentor was an interesting angle and it would have been interesting to see more of it.

These are nitpicks though, they got Peter Parker as a loveable, earnest, smart and funny kid just right and delivered on telling a story based on the very original premise of the comic books – a high school kid who gets superpowers and all that results from that. Lessons about great power and the duality of a boy being a boy but also becoming a hero. After six films this is Spider-Man as you’ve never seen him before and as you always should have.

Spiderman: Homecoming was last modified: July 28th, 2017 by Lloyd Marken

“Wonder Woman all our hopes depend on you and the magic that you do” or so the song goes. The Amazonian has not let us down even if her first solo big screen outing is not without flaws. The success of Wonder Woman paves the way for more big budget comic book films with a female protagonist, more blockbusters helmed by female directors and creates anticipation for more DC film adaptations and it does all of this by following one simple rule – make a good movie.

Kicking off in the mystical hidden away island of beautiful Themyscira we first meet Diana as a child growing up under the influence of her protective mother Queen Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen) and her vigilant Aunt General Antiope (Robin Wright). One trains her to fight and the other to love and it’s no surprise that Diana will prove to be the best of both their natures. When fully grown and now Gal Gadot she begins to discover her powers when a man comes crashing into her life. Ain’t that always the way? Steve Trevor played by Chris Pine brings war to the island and Diana seeks to enter the world of man and stop this war. Based on the myths she was told as a child she is certain Ares the God of War is responsible for man’s current suffering and needs to be sought out and defeated. The world and men she will discover are far more complex and imperfect than that.

Director Patty Jenkins shows a delicate touch flitting between several tonal shifts with ease doing an origin story, a fish out of water comedy, an old school romance, a horrifying war drama, a team on a mission actioner and a fantastical super heroine adventure. Diana arrives in London 1917, raised on an island where no men live she is suitably ignorant of the patriarchal times and this is played for both social commentary as well as laughs. Captain Trevor is on a mission to relay information about a new form of poison gas being developed by General Erich Ludendorff (Danny Huston) and Doctor Poison (Elena Anaya). Assembling a team of his old compatriots (including Said Taghmaoui, Ewen Bremner and Eugene Brave Rock) he as promised travels to the front so that Wonder Woman can search for Ares.

Unlike say World War II, it is unusual to have World War I depicted on screen with some of its horrors yes, but also involving a super-being that can provide some fantasy elements that rewrite the grimness and realities of trench warfare. Where millions of soldiers would not dare look out over a battlefield lest a sniper blow their head off in a second, Diana’s head rises proudly unprotected for the camera to drink her in during a pivotal moment. Where thousands were mowed down by machine gun in seconds Diana withstands withering fire with a shield covering half of her torso. This is not how we’ve seen World War I onscreen before and it certainly was not how it was experienced by the hundreds of thousands who are buried in those fields along the French/Belgian border. Yet as a superhero movie it is a classic moment rendered well, having entered the world of men Diana spends the next half hour being told what to wear, how to address people and to go against her instincts at every turn. In this moment she reveals her costume in full, follows her own voice and ends the slaughter of battle by taking action herself. As director Jenkins has provided a set-piece that feeds into the themes and character she has been nurturing for well over an hour and it arguably is the highpoint of the film.

The action scenes of the film are a mixed bag, the third act finale is too CGI heavy and noisy struggling to connect as easily as earlier action scenes did but a great use of sound editing does well to augment an emotional beat. Throughout some incredible fight choreography struggles at times to be seen on screen with poor editing and camera placement choices. Speed ramping up and slowing down of film is used often to show off dazzling poses from combatants mid-fight harkening back to classical art of mythological tales. With this Jenkins creates some powerful imagery whether it is Wonder Woman lifting a tank or snapping a rifle into smithereens while her buffed female arms flex.

There is a budding love story between Trevor and the Amazonian too that is wonderfully played by the two leads. Pine’s character has a modern sensibility to gender roles but is aware of the times he is living in. A lot of thought goes into how the military spy is protective of this Goddess but also more and more aware that she is much more powerful than him. Pine has grown a lot as an actor since his debut as Captain Kirk eight years ago and here he projects a wonderful relaxed decency and good comic sensibilities. Jenkins is most likely responsible for getting out of him his best performance in a while because she simultaneously reveals new talents of Gadot as an actress. Gadot of course is a stunning beauty and a great physical performer but here she is required to play many emotions and often underplay her scenes. In the London scenes for example a lot of her performance is silent reacting to the advice of others while subtlety creating some physical comedy. There is a naivety to Diana that does not come across as annoyingly ignorant but as innocently noble. As an audience we know that innocence will at some point be lost and we hope it will not compromise the goodness of her heart. The rest of the cast does well to make an impression with very little screen time but two standouts have to be Robin Wright who could easily have her own spin off and Etta Candy who earns some of the biggest laughs.

The creators of this film have created a strong likeable central character that Gadot embodies fully, more so than perhaps anybody since Christopher Reeve as Superman, Gadot does not play Wonder Woman – she is Wonder Woman. The rest of the cast are likable and affecting, the film is full of humour and heart with a strong message about the need to love and not make war. Yes the film is in search of a strong villain and the first half’s witty dialogue and neat character interactions give way to mindless spectacle in the second half but this is a strong debut for the Amazonian princess. There is no limit to what this Wonder Woman will become.

Avengers: Infinity War defies critical analysis in the traditional sense; this is the culmination of world building throughout a run of 19 films. It’s story leads into a sequel next year, it sports over 30 heroes, 4 story tangents and a budget estimated anywhere between $300 to $400 million dollars. The weight of previous entries so vast and the scope of the story so large – good luck to audiences attending this film as their entry point into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The heroic super being Captain America (Chris Evans) for example may not have much of an arc in this individual episode but to a fan does that really matter? We’ve had a few films to get know him and there’s only so many minutes with so many characters to serve. At one point the merits of self-sacrifice to save the day are raised by one hero and Steve Rogers replies “We don’t trade in lives.” And I thought how just like Cap. It’s a little moment but in a behemoth of a film and franchise it’s the little moments that are so important to get right. While clocking in at 149 minutes the film skips from location to location, set-piece to set-piece these little moments are vital for providing all the characterization and pathos the film can muster on the move.

Knowledge of previous films certainly helps but you have it to the Russo brothers as directors, they seem to know what to do with these characters. Nordic God of Thunder, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) in five minutes here seems to be more consistently and thoughtfully fleshed out here then he was in his three solo movies. The introduction of the bantering mixed bag of space mercenaries, the Guardians of the Galaxy is so in keeping with the tone of their movies that you imagine their director/writer James Gunn was brought into consult but no it seems the Russos just get it.

Part of the fun of such a team-up movie is seeing how different characters react to each other and draw out different aspects of their personalities. Rocket Raccoon (voiced by Bradley Cooper) for example matures around Thor whereas Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) appears more imperious and clinical next to Spider-man (Tom Holland). If there is one character handed a whole arc it is actually villain of the piece, purple skinned and ribbed for your pleasure chinned Thanos (Josh Brolin) which is just as well since he’s been given little screen time previously. The relationships with his daughters Gamora (Zoe Saldana) and Nebula (Karen Gillan) and why he is trying to destroy the universe are all given time to breathe. As the big bad daddy of the Marvel Universe makes his entrance other familial tensions resonate through the story. Thanos talks a good yarn about his burden of having to balance out the universe with mass extinction like he’s a general making the hard decisions or a parent giving tough love but Josh Brolin’s performance makes you suspect he’s just a psychopath wrapping himself in the lies of the warped cult he established with his minions.

Although an interesting theme throughout is how our heroes fail to make similar hard decisions paving the way for Thanos’s victory. To that end the finale is kind of audacious and bleak for such a crowd pleasing series of films. The scale of this blockbuster and all those that came before it also adds to the impact of such an ending. It feels big because it capitalises on 10 years of history. At various points during the film Alan Silvestri’s score kicks in as various heroes suddenly come to the aid of others. Small victories through adversity preclude a deafening defeat. The music gone replaced by thunder cracking and the palette of the film turning grey, the quiet making an impact following so much loud spectacle. The impact of this only lessened by the knowledge that the movie is only one part of a much larger machine. A machine purring along quite nicely that sometimes it seems we’re begging for an occasional sputter just to add colour. This maybe it, while the Marvel Cinematic Universe will remain it does feel like this film will prove a milestone of some sort.

Technically there is some CGI rendering that looks like it could have been given more time to be perfected which is saying something considering at least 10 special effects houses that worked on this film. As previously mentioned, some characters don’t get much to do but all do get their moment to shine and some even get developed. While the scale here is huge, the Russos don’t just throw stuff at the screen, every sequence is well choreographed, paced to elicit maximum tension and sketched out with a good understanding the geography.

If you’ve seen a Marvel superhero film and liked it you should enjoy this one, if you haven’t seen one you might find hard to keep up with and if you’ve seen one before and not enjoyed it I’m surprised you’ve come this far but thank you and I hoped you enjoyed the review. It’s tempting to underestimate how difficult it is pull this off (even though Justice League was just in cinemas last December) and to forget how unprecedented this was back in 2008. This is the pay-off of ten years and while its legacy may reside more in how the business model changes in Hollywood it should be noted that Kevin Feige leads a team of people that juggle a large canvas of characters and stories and they’ve never made a film that wasn’t at least decent. This is probably due to the love that the people involved have for the characters and their innate understanding of them and audiences. Next year and the new Avengers movie that comes with it can’t get here fast enough.

-Lloyd Marken

Avengers: Infinity War was last modified: July 1st, 2018 by Lloyd Marken

Black Panther is a phenomenon at the box officer and a celebratory moment in changing culture and diversity. As a film though it is not without its flaws but assisted by an able cast it will go down as a blockbuster that resonated with a core audience long overdue their moment. Ryan Coogler is one of the most exciting directors working today and after taking Rocky Balboa to new heights it was interesting to see what he would do with a Marvel superhero film.

The plot picks up from events of Captain America: Civil War where T’Challa (Black Panther) returns to Wakanda following his father’s death to take up the throne but first he must accept challenges from other tribes in the kingdom if he is to assume the throne. Wakanda is an interesting place with production design inspired by African tribal symbolism and ultra futuristic aesthetics. It’s a neat look that has inspired several audiences who have not seen Africans as royalty or technologically superior. Yet at the centre of all of this is the ruling few who decide who is worthiest in trial by combat. I’m not sure that is a healthy message to be sending. It is only the beginning of big themes that Coogler injects into the blockbuster.

Wakanda is a kingdom cut off from the outside world with wealth and prosperity that it guards well. Ideas of isolationism, immigration, border protection and wealth disparity are all put forward and refreshingly with strong cases being made for both. At the centre of this is the film’s main villain played by regular Coogler collaborator Michael B. Jordan as the villain Killmonger. We probably don’t want to go into too much spoiler territory here but Killmonger in a lot of ways represents African-Americans cut off by their roots and a militant response to African diaspora. In perhaps the film’s best scene this is articulated between a father and a son in a small apartment in Oakland, California. Jordan who has grown into a charismatic leading man is in danger of outshining Black Panther himself but Chadwick Boseman gives T’Challa a quiet dignity, a straight hero surrounded by a more interesting ensemble. These include Lupita Nyong’o as Nakia, a spy and former flame, Danai Gurira a royal bodyguard Okoye, Daniel Kaluuya as a border tribesman W’Kabi and Letitia Wright as Shuri as a mocking little sister and tech genius. Disappointingly making less impact are Angela Bassett as Queen Ramonda and Forest Whitaker as Zuri a religious figure. As the token white men Andy Serkis and Martin Freeman have fun but this film belongs to the black cast.

The plot so to speak is more concerned with themes then a particularly rich story with thinly connected set pieces. All of the above characters are effectively sounding boards for T’Challa to hear a different point of view. You can’t help but wonder if an amicable chat couldn’t have solved most of the problems the characters face but then again maybe that’s the point. T’Challa’s character arc is to learn how to be a good leader and he learns this from engaging with his mirror image found in Killmonger. It’s an age old story but executed well. As for the set pieces the one with the most humour and interesting ideas is in the centre of the movie with a fight scene in an underground Korean casino followed by a car chase through Busan. You also can’t help but notice a lot of CGI in the mix that makes the action less grounded and suspenseful. Still the look of the film is original and gorgeous. This is a frustrating film in the sense that when a line lands with resonance you can see why audiences have been so deeply affected but character motivations sometimes only occur for plot convenience and a better film would have avoided being undermined like that.

Still a return to Wakanda and these characters remains a draw and this film lays the groundwork for all of kind exciting new directions and character development. Wakanda Forever indeed.

They shot part of the new action thriller Atomic Blonde in Germany, no doubt filming in some of the same locations that were there during the Cold War. Some money and effort has gone towards featuring retro technology of the time, the actors wear clothes that are suitably stylish for today’s tastes but impossibly evocative of the late 80s, the film’s lighting shows the colours of heroin chic and the soundtrack boasts the songs that were on the radio at the time.

However Atomic Blonde looks like it is set in the 1980s rather than being evocative of the 1980s in the same way that it is like a good spy thriller but it isn’t one. It is all style and no substance but my oh my-what style! A spy film that honours all the tropes, with agents who keep the local bottle-os afloat with their penchant for one particular spirit that always has its logo facing camera, debriefs with staid imperious bureaucrats, and double heck even triple or quadruple crosses. Because why the hell would a double cross be enough?

Ultimately the film is elevated by one Charlize Theron who is at the height of her powers at the moment. Playing Lorraine Broughton of British Intelligence she is sent to Berlin during the dying days of the Cold War following the murder of a Western spy in the city. Her contact in country is David Percivall (James McAvoy) who immediately strikes her as untrustworthy and definitely operating outside of regulations. She also attracts the attention of French agent Delphine Lasalle (Sophia Boutella) and Stasi officer Aleksander Bremovych (Roland Moller) as she attempts to retrieve important information that maybe only Eddie Marsan’s character Spyglass knows enough about. The plot is no Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy; Broughton’s plight is also all about mood and looks. She’s on a mission to unearth a killer and retrieve something but it quickly matters little.

That’s not to say that all the meandering is meaningless, the cast takes the film seriously enthusing their roles with personalities and contradictions. Theron who trained for months before shooting is at the forefront of some sensational fight scenes, I don’t care what cheating techniques were used if any, this is a physical role and Theron is one of the most physically adept actresses working today. She cuts a powerful figure but not without limitations and vulnerabilities. When the fighting begins we’re with her all the way feeling every hit that forces her to the ground and delighting in every killer move that hand her triumph until the next opponent.

The fact that Theron can give us this as a physical performer and then also speak volumes with a gaze at a dead body is an embarrassment of riches. See if there’s a role for her in a Tinker, Tailor sequel. The rest of the cast is all as good as their reputations would lead you to expect, Jones in particular plays his listening superior Eric Gray as the least poker faced and is all the more effective because of it. Boutella has the right amount of naivety and fire and McAvoy called upon to be many things might have the hardest time but remains committed throughout. It might have been nicer to have him play off Theron more with an emotional connection of questionable authenticity.

Directed by one half of the team that brought you the original John Wick, former stuntman David Leitch has made an action film with flair, long tracking shots that travel through whole buildings following melees that involve meticulous fight choreography that make you feel the blows. Working off a limited budget the film looks very sleek with some great lighting and attention paid to replicating that time period.

This is a lively film that never bores owing perhaps its heightened look and sensibilities to its comic book origins but it is hard to lock onto caring much about the characters who remain mysterious and aloof for the most part. That at times can mean what is happening onscreen is not of much interest until the next fight scene starts. Yet it is fun and it is one more thing too, it is further proof that Charlize Theron is one of the great movie stars of today.

A great script is a key necessity to making a great film but good characters go a long way in engaging an audience and instant chemistry is as hard to create as capturing lightning in a bottle. In 2014 Guardians of the Galaxy arrived with some of the most lovable characters in the universe. Some recognised the promise of the film early on, others came around that summer but either way expectations are high for James Gunn’s sequel. The follow-up expands on things set up in the first film like Peter Quill’s parentage but has less the sense of fun and brisk energy that its predecessor boasted. Fans will dig it and the uninitiated should be charmed enough by the actor’s comic timing and the visual spectacle. Few will disagree that director James Gunn aims for an emotional response and earns one, possibly making the sequel a more rewarding experience, but the plot does hang on a wire thin framework.

Set sometime after the first movie, the Guardians remain guns for hire in a cosmic universe of colourful horizons and grotesque monsters. The opening set to Electric Light Orchestra features the walking talking tree Groot (Vin Diesel) sauntering around like a toddler while his fellow Guardians do battle with said grotesque monster using anything from simple swords to hi-tech rocket packs. The group’s chemistry is alive and well as they bicker about weapons, setting up of amps and sensitive nipples. They defeat the monster for the alien race known as the Sovereign; beings genetically engineered to perfection with skin so golden that you may not recognise Aussie actress Elizabeth Debicki stepping up to the big leagues as their leader Ayesha. Our anti-heroes are rewarded for their actions with the prisoner Nebula (Karen Gillan), sister to Guardian Gamora (Zoe Saldana) of whom both are the daughters of Thanos (next year’s Avengers: Infinity Wars big baddie). Being anti-heroes, one of them can’t help but steal from the species they just worked for and Rocket Raccoon (voiced by Bradley Cooper with body movement by Sean Gunn) as a result incurs Ayesha’s wrath. If the Sovereign were too lazy to deal with a creature chomping on their power source, they seem quite happy to throw everything they have at the Guardians for this personal betrayal. In the resulting desperate escape the Guardians come across a powerful being known as Ego (Kurt Russell) who claims to be Peter Quill’s (Chris Pratt) father.

As the writer of the film too, James Gunn makes a bold choice to split our heroes apart but it does lead to some interesting pair-ups. We come to understand more the relationship between Nebula and Gamora, that Yondu (Michael Rooker) and Rocket have more in common than either is willing to admit and Drax (Dave Bautista) lacking in human decorum takes on the role of advising Ego’s servant the innocent Mantis (Pom Klementieff) how to interact with others with equally funny and poignant results. That leaves Quill to get to know his old man and Russell seems to be having the time of his life playing the charming Ego who alternately can’t deal with Quill’s simple question “Why did you leave us?”. Pratt too has truly come of age as a movie star able to project effortless cool but draw you in with heartfelt emotion.

Without giving away spoilers, great emotional resonance in the finale comes from the relationship between two characters who have shared very little screen time together across both films. Yet all involved makes small choices that create that resonance, a petulant sister’s face over the other’s shoulder during a hug she really does want, Rocket’s attempts to win approval or evade judgement from his team members and the way that Baby Groot (Vin Diesel) acts around Drax. This gang of outsiders found each other in the first film but the cast and crew go deeper here with the theme of making your own family. People tend to do that when their own home was broken and the sequel deals with that while proudly wearing its heart on its sleeve.

Every single actor on screen brings their A game creating fully realized characters we believe, in particular Sean Gunn does a lot with very little as Ravager Kraglin. When we see Yondu (Michael Rooker) again for the first time he is looking out a window on a drinking hole planet completely devoid of joy and utterly lost. Gunn gifts the character a great arc in this story and Rooker makes the most of it articulating the characters pain but also joy in his moments of victory. You’ll be humming Stand A Little Bit Closer To Me by Jay and the Americans for the next week. The soundtrack is every bit as good as the lauded first one, with carefully chosen hits that are right on theme with what is occurring on screen with Fleetwood Mac’s The Chain getting two significant plays.

Other trademarks of the franchise are the spectacular visual effects which are used effectively here to create a cosmic adventure of unlimited scale, a full spectrum of colours and a range of possibilities. It would be nicer perhaps to have more practical sets and effects but the action has weight and there is true concern for the characters in the action scenes. The wit of the original remains which is just as well because the film does occasionally show some darkness when dealing with space criminals even if Rocket is happy to mock their names to his last breath.

Sometimes Marvel Studio films are criticized for all having the same look, with their director’s visions compromised to fit within the shared cinematic universe but Gunn’s Guardians films remain unique and true to his sensibilities. They’re funny, occasionally gross and as Cat Steven’s Father and Son plays in a gloriously lit up galaxy far, far away they are moving – oh so moving. This is one of the year’s best.

Guardians of the Galaxy Review was last modified: May 5th, 2017 by Lloyd Marken

Five Came Back has few effective flourishes of storytelling within it, less than should be expected from such a costly prestige production. Yet it doesn’t need them because the stories it tells are so effective and affecting. The stories are of war, living through it and how it affects you. There may be nothing more of tragic, heartfelt, exciting or poignant than the story of a veteran and in this series there are five. The Five are directors John Ford, William Wyler, John Huston, Frank Capra and George Stevens. Wyler and Stevens may be less well known to modern audiences but their films Shane, The Diaryof Anne Frank, Jezebel, Roman Holiday, Funny Girl and Ben Hur are remembered classics. In 1941 they were middle aged men, established and wealthy in their chosen professions. Some were regretful of not having served in World War I, Capra did serve stateside but contracted Spanish flu and was medically discharged. Some were patriotic, tellingly all five seemed to see the threat of what was happening in Europe as something that threatened the American way of life at a time when at least half of America did not.

In what seems impossible to comprehend happening now, the Army took them on, gave them commissions and sent them on assignments. These days the military has their own marketing machine and likes to control their image in house but back then the power of cinema was all consuming. Most people got their entertainment and news from picture houses than anywhere else and harnessing this was seen as fundamental importance. Some saw little combat, some saw a great deal, most of them saw much death and were never the same. They returned and tried to pick up the pieces as best they could in a world that wanted to quickly move in. Some of the footage here is remarkable and heartbreaking. One shot of a boat deck covered in blood and guts on D-Day, bodies piled high on top of each other at Dachau, planes falling thousands of feet to the ground while fellow airmen urge to see another chute appear out of it. This is when Five Came Back is at its most powerful.

The stories of these directors are relayed by five modern directors who mirror them in their own ways. I was sure they would pick Steven Spielberg to discuss Capra but instead the Italian immigrant is discussed by Mexican director Guillermo Del Toro and the Jewish Wyler is covered by the man who made Schlinder’s List. Lawrence Kasdan discusses George Stevens as a man who made films of many genres rather than being seen as an auteur with a particular style. Both Paul Greengrass and John Ford were of Irish heritage, whom have a distinct style in how they direct. Francis Ford Coppola rose to prominence at a very young age directing some of the best films of his generation much like John Huston before him. The whole series is narrated by Meryl Streep which makes for an interesting change from the voice usually assigned to such series. Most of these directors are heading past middle age and yet sometimes in discussing these men there is a child-like reverence in their voice and faces. This is even more touching when you realise as baby boomers these five directors were of the same generation as their own parents most likely and were certainly an influence on them as filmmakers growing up.

Yet while some of what they say is fascinating it lacks the intimacy of people who knew these men personally. There are some archival interviews with the actual five discussing the war but it all feels a little removed. The book by Mark Harris the series is based on probably went into more details of certain facts and it would have been maybe more compelling to speak to more people who actually knew them as loved ones. In fact the most touching parts are seeing some of these men with their families both before and after the war.

Perennial Christmas favourite It’s A Wonderful Life was made by Capra after the war. A more mature pairing of the director with Jimmy Stewart which retained the idealism of their earlier efforts but is well known for displaying the anger and sorrow of Stewart who came back a decorated war hero forever hardened by what he had seen. Capra saw little action if any having made one trip to London which was bombed throughout the war. He had however given everything he had to the war effort with hundreds under his command working on several productions. Having given up being one of the biggest directors in Hollywood he returned to it a short four years later to find nobody gave a damn about his efforts for their freedom. In a moving moment of insight, the ending of It’s A Wonderful Life where Bailey races back to see his family become reflective or veterans racing to be reunited with loved ones, the plight of Bailey ceases to reflect just the torment of Stewart’s war experiences and becomes the revelation of Capra’s own frustrations following service. It is insightful and moving and the rest of the series for the most part lacks such imagination. However in the end no matter how these stories or men are presented doesn’t matter; they are so compelling to hear that the series is undeniably one to watch. These Five are representative of a much larger contribution made by a whole generation long ago and we should hear their stories. We should remember and we should take care of the generations of veterans who have followed them. Such deference is shown by their makers of this series themselves when they close with a message of hope from Capra himself and images shot by all five.

-Lloyd Marken

Five Who Came Back was last modified: January 21st, 2018 by Lloyd Marken

It feels unfair to review Justice League, a troubled production beset by personal tragedy with extensive re-shoots that were done so recently it would be difficult to get the effects just right. Too big to fail and too rushed to deliver the film still manages to…yes have its moments. The first may sum up both everything wrong and right with it; a tape by two kids interviewing Superman when he was alive opens the film. Henry Cavill is charming and perfect as Superman in this scene talking to the kids and emanating hope and inspiration. Long term fans of the character will love this scene because in it they will recognise the Superman they love but they will also wonder why it is Superman’s upper lip looks a bit weird and they may also reflect that Cavill’s Superman has rarely acted like this previously on screen. Therein lies the rub, this is a sequel in a way to a film that doesn’t exist. With the shift in tone they can acknowledge the past movies but not build upon them and there’s something inconsistent in how some of these characters changed behaviours that just come across as non-authentic. Batman vs. Superman also suffered from feeling like it was too many movies in one but at the least tone and the look of the world was consistent.

One way it is improved is in its relentless efficiency, some subplots are even dropped to make sure the film runs less than 2 hours. Almost all scenes are just to introduce characters to one another and move onto the next obligatory action scene, the bad guy is nothing more than a computer generated villain sprouting some lines about collecting boxes and taking over. Each of the new heroes is given one set-up scene, one scene where they introduced to Batman (Ben Affleck) and/or Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) and then they all join together to fight…you know I kind of forget his name but don’t worry it doesn’t matter. They’re defeated so they then decide to spoiler but seriously you knew they were gonna get spoiler and spoiler so that spoiler by the end of the movie. In some ways it’s nice to not have an unnecessarily convoluted story but Cyborg (Ray Fisher) for example seems to have an interesting sub plot that does not really go anywhere. Most of the cast does well to sell you on the idea of them being in their own movie; Gal Gadot fared better under the direction of Zack Snyder and Patty Jenkins but is still great even if having the camera make her skirt seem shorter in this film. Aquaman (Jason Momoa) is hot and the Flash (Ezra Miller) is funny, there’s a nice scene where he and Cyborg share they’re the accidents. A nice idea toyed with is that Batman truly is the more vulnerable hero in the group without any superpowers and is needed more for his ideas and direction than muscle and he’s also feeling his age more in this one. Remember when his portrayal was met with so much acclaim 20 months ago and now they’re already talking about how he may retire from the role?! I have no idea why J.K. Simmons had to hit the gym like a beast to appear on a rooftop in a trench coat for two scenes as Commissioner Gordon but hey that’s Hollywood for you. Amy Adams and Diane Lane are both back too as Lois Lane and Martha Wayne, completely being wasted in a movie that does not deserve them as the human face of what was lost when Superman died.

Despite a second director coming through half way through production the tone and visuals are relatively consistent but the props, costumes and locations were originally intended for different lighting and as a result don’t look as good with the revised palette. With rushed re-shoots and CGI augmentation this movie which comes with a reported budget of $300 million looks remarkably cheap too. Most of the action is boring, nothing on par with that sequence involving Batman rescuing Marthaaaaa! in the last film. There are flourishes of humour throughout that are classic Joss Whedon and given his track record it would really be interesting to see what he would do with a Justice League 2 with time to write a proper script and shoot Henry Cavill without having to CGI out his moustache from a Mission: Impossible movie.

As a comic book fan there are moments in this movie that will make your heart soar and others that will make you so mad at wasted opportunities. This is a film caught between two moments, neither the Zack Snyder film originally envisioned nor a Joss Whedon film built from the ground up. Both probably would have been better films but this is the one we got and under the circumstances it could have been a lot worse. Yet it could have been a lot better too.

“How the mighty have fallen,” is a re-occurring thought while watching Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.

There’s Orlando Bloom (once Legolas) hanging as a poster on a million fan girl’s walls, now trading on old hits with a minor cameo. There’s Javier Barden who played the great boogeyman Anton Chigurh ten years ago now playing yet another villain for Hollywood but one that is far less compelling than the assassin with the weird haircut. There’s producer Jerry Bruckheimer handing us another blockbuster for this American summer but hasn’t he heard superheroes are all the rage? Finally there is Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow, painfully meta as his character seems to be a little sadder and down on his luck than usual.

One of the most fascinating and rebellious stars of his day, by the turn of this century Depp’s popularity had waned as his respectability grew in art house and independent hits. The original Pirates in 2003, based off a theme park ride of all things, played as a perfect blend of the his eccentric tendencies and commercial demands. Quite simply put, Depp’s truly original Jack Sparrow swanned off a sinking mast onto a pier and into our hearts. The first sequel while not as critically acclaimed was rewarded with one of the highest box office grosses of the previous decade. Yet the franchise has been one of diminishing returns creatively and in this entry we reach a new low.

Every sequel has played a variation of the original’s plot so it may not surprise that in this film there are two new young characters that the story is centred around much like Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) and Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) were once the focal point. Speaking of Will Turner, he has a son named Henry Turner played by Brenton Thwaites and he’s a chip off the old block. Young and earnest like his father once was, good in a fight and even more boring than his old man who at least got some good lines. Thwaites is joined by Kaya Scodelario playing Carina Smyth, an astronomer branded a witch for being a woman and knowing things in a time and place that doesn’t like that one bit. There’s poignancy shown, thankfully not told, about how Henry has been searching his whole life to free his father from his cursed life as a ghost amongst the sea. Kaya Scodelario too is a talented actress but neither Henry nor Carina engage like Elizabeth and Will did previously. For that matter everybody is a poor copy of someone from earlier films, David Wenham as an arrogant British naval commander is just a jerk with little personality beyond this fact. Compare that to Jack Davenport as Commodore Norrington trying to hold onto his career and girl in the earlier stories. Golshifteh Farahani as Shansa, a sea witch looks cool but never makes an impact like Naomie Harris as priestess Tia Dalma did. Bill Nighy’s Davy Jones was a far more nuanced villain with a tragic love story than Javier Bardem’s rage fuelled Captain Armando Salazar.

Still at least Bardem seems to be enjoying himself spitting out dialogue like venom even if the most recognisable parts of his character are the neat way his hair moves in open air like he’s underwater and his cool Spanish accent. Depp actually seems to be going through the motions in this film which you could never accuse the star of previously whatever the qualities of the sequels. Whether this was due to stresses outside the production would be difficult to determine but Johnny Depp remains a talent even if little of what made Jack Sparrow fresh in 2003 remains here in this performance. As Jack sits around betraying his beloved compass and searching for another rum bottle to drink he cuts a pathetic figure in a way that his shenanigans never did previously.

Story wise this could have opened up interesting avenues for the character but the best arc of the film instead is gifted to his old comrade/nemesis Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush). Rush brings gravitas to his now aged salty dog when he says lines like “I’m a pirate.” knowing such conviction could be his death sentence. It would have been interesting to see the developments of Barbossa happen with Sparrow instead but for obvious reasons they were not.

There is a moment at the beginning of the third act when the film becomes more engaging, Barbossa and Sparrow spar verbally well off one another, some jokes land during a group debate and a key reveal brings some depth to a couple of relationships. Sadly what follows in terms of action scenes are tremendously disappointing. There are no real sword fights in this swashbuckler; the finale is dimly lit and hard to make out while poor sound editing undermines key attempts at pathos.

Budgeted at $230 million dollars this is an unforgivable sin committed either by the cinema chain running this screening or more worryingly Disney studios themselves pushing this into release where people will pay good money for tickets. Too much CGI and clear cut aways to stuntmen rob the film of any spectacle or excitement with poorly framed shots and editing compounding the problem. More is the pity when some really good shots show how inventively designed and menacing Captain Salazar and his crew are.

In 2003 at the end of Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, as Johnny Depp swam away to the Black Pearl (making a grand return here) I hoped for inevitable sequels. Now I choose to remember him as he was in that moment, triumphant and on his way to new possibilities. For Johnny Depp, even if not necessarily for Captain Jack Sparrow, I still believe that is so.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi stirs up a lot of emotions for fans old and new. Time should be kind with evaluation of the film as more and more the memories of the original trilogy dim and give away to a new generation but for those of us who grew up on those memories there are things that hurt in this movie and we don’t have to go quietly into the night.

The story follows three threads; Rey (Daisy Ridley) has arrived on Ahch-Toto be trained by the legendary Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). Finn (John Boyega) is dispatched with a new character Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran) on a mission to Canto Bight, a Casino planet, to find hacker. Meanwhile Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) remains with the Resistance fleet being commanded by Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo (Laura Dern) as the First Order follows them from a distance waiting for their fuel reserves to run out.

Rian Johnson has made a career out of doing films in specific genres with a sense of reinvention. Here he re-invents Star Wars, a mid-stop for a trilogy that feels like a “cappe” that also rejects some of the set-up of the previous film. New powers and logistical considerations appear that change the dynamics of this universe. Most importantly he asks us to re-evaluate these characters and present them in a new light.

This is no more present than with Luke Skywalker, the hero of the original trilogy now a broken man full of remorse, his earnestness replaced with bitter cynicism and his good heart now tortured. How much you enjoy this film is going to depend an awful lot on how much you believe the characterisation of Luke Skywalker at this point in his life. There is a moment where Luke finds out the events of the last film and it feels painfully glossed over.

Still there’s a lot to admire in this approach to demystifying the most successful pop mythology of all time. Skywalker has become a myth and true fans will remember that he is just a man, once quite a green horned farm boy actually, so it’s an interesting idea to show that once young adventurous soul now inhabits an older man with many regrets about his own failings. The ending is also neat dealing with the ideas of myths, how they come to pass and what really happened on the day. General Leia is also back and even though she sports less screen time she remains every bit the wise and brave leader we always knew her to be. It is interesting to note in these times of discussions about gender representation on film, abuse against women and female empowerment that it is unlikely that Leia would portrayed as anything but a positive well-adjusted figure whereas Luke here has to grow as a person. I don’t know if the roles had been switched whether that would have brought the film some criticism.

Besides Luke’s arc, a lot of new things are added including new forces powers and new considerations when jumping to light speed for one thing. Some things will bother some fans, some won’t mind. All of these developments seem to be made in aid of telling the story; the stakes are very high in this film, the Resistance now cut down to personnel on a handful of ships being chased across the Galaxy with minimal hope of escape. There are compelling ideas in the story of Rose but no real connection with the audience and if this was the first time out for Finn he would fail to be someone we cared about nearly as much. On the other hand the development of Rey and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and their relationship which plays out a little like an adolescent crush on the kid your parents don’t approve of is handled really well. There is a fake out involving the death of a leader and the surprise death of another leader. A surprise re-appearance from an old favourite touches the right tone. It’s difficult to write about the film without giving away too much, this world has become so well-known and beloved that there is a short hand to everything. You feel a discussion about one side character’s fate speaks volumes in a way no other franchise would inspire discussion.

So let’s say this, Rian Johnson has told his own story and opened up a lot of new possibilities. J.J. Abrams was seen as a safe choice for Episode IX, now his stocks might just rise because of some of the developments here and the hope he can salvage some of The Force Awakens vibes. There’s wriggle room to ret-con too but I’m not sure how much he will. This makes it sound as if the film is horrible when it is a lot more complicated than that! The film is a series of subplots or developments that will prove divisive, it is trying something new which should be applauded but that can’t be used as an excuse for some poor choices both narratively and execution wise. The production values are incredible with for the most part a real attempt to do effects in camera and take us to new exciting worlds. Some sequences are too CGI heavy and tedious, other set pieces are bound to become some of the most iconic in the franchise. The humour in the film is a mixed bag and the pacing is off, you feel the length of this film and there are essentially two climatic finales and a subplot that fails to engage or even ultimately serve much of a purpose.

This feels like a Star Wars movie that was necessary for breaking formula and expectations. Some fans will cite it as a watershed moment in the franchise; others will hang their heads and never forgive for some of what happens here. The rest of us will probably feel torn, this is not the greatest movie in the series but it may be an important one. It also proves a painful one too in its limiting of fan pleasing moments but it is a good movie and brave one. But not a great movie, doing something new is great but you have been great at doing it if you want that praise.

-Lloyd Marken

Star Wars: The Last Jedi was last modified: February 6th, 2018 by Lloyd Marken

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The "big" band in the first issue of Buzz Magazine was NOT The Big Pop Monsters (aka Superheist) but The Buzzards, a very popular surf grunge band on Melbourne's Mornington Peninsula. The Buzzards drew huge crowds in the pre-pokies pubs of the era.